Help Evan Fight Rare Complications from Chemo

Dear appreciated reader,

Some of you may know Evan Staton, some of you may not. However, at some point in your life, surely you have met someone like him– you would remember if so. He has the kind of personality that captivates a room, the kind of personality for which no moment is too big.

A loving son, brother and friend, Evan, discovered his passion for guiding youth after joining the coaching staff for an aged 14 and under water polo club, where he quickly ascended to the position of head coach; while also becoming an assistant coach for Dr. Phillips High School Boys Water Polo Team.

Evan was poised to take the next step in his career as a blossoming educator by joining the Dr. Phillips High School teaching staff, teaching his favorite subject– psychology. Days before the start of the school year, Evan was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer.

Rather than embarking on his journey as a teacher, Evan found himself in the emergency room facing a frightening diagnosis while suddenly isolated from the thriving life he was – up until this moment – going to dive into the very next day. Instead of starting his new position teaching psychology, Evan was wheeled into surgery.

Five days post-surgery, Evan was released from the hospital where he spent the weekend home with his family awaiting chemotherapy which was scheduled to begin within the week. Instead, he developed a fever of 102.5 which led him back to the emergency room and into the hospital on what would have been his second week as a new teacher. His white blood cell count was escalating rapidly and doctors spent the next 10 days searching for the cause. After countless scans, blood panels, and the possibility of additional surgery, a blood sample was sent to a lab in California where the Karius Test discovered a simple but sneaky little microorganism. With that, proper antibiotics were administered and Evan was, for the second time in two weeks, released from the hospital.

Evan’s prognosis is excellent but not without pain and suffering. His chemotherapy regimen is rigorous: three chemo drugs for three cycles, each cycle is three weeks. Week one treatments last 4-6 hours each day, Monday through Friday. Weeks two and three are one day of just one drug – bleomycin – a notoriously brutal drug, and while it’s a simple 15-minute infusion, causes nearly unbearable side effects. This cycle repeats three times with side effects compounding making it impossible to maintain a normal, productive life.

If you know Evan, you know that he wants to be the one that people come to for help; but everyone needs to be able to lean on someone, and right now Evan needs our help.

Dr. Phillips High School is holding his position and the moment he is cleared to work– hopefully, before the end of this year– he will be in the classroom, finally teaching passionately, mentoring youth, and coaching his beloved sport. But until then he is on unpaid medical leave and bills are mounting. He has family support but is struggling with rent and other living expenses that continue to grow.

Please help my friend fight this battle by donating. Each donation will help him focus on getting well and back to living his vibrant life as quickly as possible. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your support.